APR Flash Cards: Opinion v. Belief v. Value v. Attitude

Here's the APR tip of the week. This one is actually 4 flash cards in one post.

Category: Terms
Front: Opinion
Back: A view, judgment or appraisal formed in the mind about a particular matter.

Front: Belief
Back: Mental acceptance of a claim as fact.

Front: Value
Back: Something intrinsically valuable or desirable

Front: Attitude
Back: A mental position with regard to a fact or state; a feeling or emotion toward a fact or state.

I think these can be some of the hardest terms to apply correctly. Try to apply it, and you'll see why.

Let's take the issue of gay marriage. I think gay marriage should be legalized. This is my opinion; I've mentally made this judgment. That judgment is based on a belief (since it is not a proven fact) that people are born gay, and a personal value placed on equal human rights. All of this is tied up in my general attitude (a feeling about things) that being gay is ok.

Wow, wish I could have come up with a less controversial example, but there it is!

If you're prepping for the APR exam, be prepared to identify statements as being an opinion, a belief, a value, or an attitude.